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Sunday, July 25, 2010

Our presentation at the Braz-TESOL Conference and CTJ TEFL (Casa Thomas Jefferson - Brasília) went well with many teachers showing interest in the topic and wanting to make the change necessary to make the learning experience even more exciting.

Here's the slideshow for the presentation. Just click on the images and you'll be taken to the tools and their examples:

We also had the chance to present in the CTJ Electronic Village, a reduced, but highly effective version of TESOL's Electronic Village. The Ed Tech Team shared some resources and hands-on ideas for the language classroom.http://ctjelectronicvillage.pbworks.com/2010

Still on the topic of effective tools for the classroom,I just came across this list compiled by the Nerdy Teacher, whom I highly recommend the following.

I'd also add some other tools that are essential for me as an educator, teacher trainer and presenter:

edmodoTo connect to others, to meet online with your classroom WordleTo make word cloudsPicnikTo edit your photosElluminate To present and connect to others onlineScribblarTo present and connect to others online - free tool AnimotoTo share photos, videos and make cool presentation WallwisherTo make bulletin boards, to discuss a subject, to add a mosaic of perspectivesGoogle AppsUse them all for different purposes!GlogsterTo make an online scrapbookMindmeister To organize thoughts into maps

I thought it would be really interesting to point out to the ones out:My choice of the Year for for the lamest tool of 2010 would go for Ning because of their disrespect to educators and how they approached their commercial ideals. This was a tool that I used to love, but has caused many inconveniences for me in terms of time and content retrieval.

What would be your list? How different would it be from this one?What is the lamest techtool of the year? It would be great to make it even bigger and more useful for others.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Why bother?
Why leave the comfort zone for the unknown?
Why seek emotion and a bit more of fun into our dull lives?
Why should one work harder just for the sake of changing?
Why even consider the transformation if all things seem to fall into place?
Why innovate if someone else will get the credit?
Why do something different if everything seems to work the way it is now?
Why alter the state of our classrooms if the students are learning for centuries this way, but just seem "a bit bored"?
Why transition to a more proactive view of professional development if I won't get a raise?
Why spend my precious time studying, searching, planning for better teaching if I won't get more recognition from my superiors?
Why the shift?
Why the move?

That's why most of us keep saying NO to the inevitable passages in life, when we have to transition from our well-known, safe routine to a new "unpredictable" mode of thought and act. Though we might question ourselves the WHY, and this is healthy when it doesn't block the possibilities ahead, innovating, moving towards a new direction, finding a more appropriate perspective to learning and teaching is simply part of our own evolution as human beings, as educators.

The word CHANGE is part of my daily job. Every day, there's something new that makes me change the way I see things, a new tool to do things more efficiently. Though resistant at times, I've learned to listen to opposite views, to ponder, and to come to the conclusion when change might be beneficial to the collective.

Say YES.
Innovate.
Surprise.
Give a new sense to your own life.
Bring life to your classroom.
Make it lively.
Laugh, dance with your students, sing a song, create one.
Let breadth and new light enligthen your educational practices.
Learn with your students.
Don't expect recognition, except your own perception of how engaged, motivated your students are.
Consider your own small rewards when you see a sparkling eye, a curious soul.
Laugh again.
Teach with passion. Teach with soul and intuition. Find magic in the small details.
Add bits of tech before you can call yourself a true innovator.
Keep daring.

Are you still considering saying NO to change? Well, you might use 100 lame excuses to avoid becoming a more adventurous, happier educator. Or you might start considering making small innovative changes that will make a difference in your and your learners' lives pretty soon.

Say YESto your very simple changing acts.
Try it.
It can be really powerful!
Let's start right now a Say YES movement.

I'd love to hear what you've done to substitute inertia for hard-hitting transformation.

About Me

A Brazilian EFL teacher, explorer of the potential of technology integration into language learning, I started to dig into the possibilities of tech-applications some years ago and have been going on new cyber-journeys with my students ever since. I am a teacher trainer and site content manager at a Binational Center in Brasilia, Casa Thomas Jefferson. I am a blogging fan (or addict!) and enthusiastic Webhead.

PRIZE: VALE A PENA FICAR DE OLHO NESSE BLOG

This is part of an initiative called "Vale a pena ficar de olho nesse blog". The chosen blog has to copy the picture, with a link to the blog from which it has received the award . Then write ten more links to the blogs which are well worth a visit. Thanks to Cláudio Azevedo http://bit.ly/grammarmovies for linking me to this project.

Time to Change

Always moving forward digitally.

I'll consider this space as my Further Explorations blog.

Check my Explorations blog, which was nominated for the Edublog Awards 2008.